Director of Investments and Innovation (Energy + Built Environment)

About Elemental Impact

Elemental Impact is a nonprofit investor with 15 years of experience advancing innovative technologies with deep environmental and local impact. Elemental is supported by 40 government and philanthropic funders and its portfolio includes 160+ companies that have catalyzed $11.5B in additional funding and created 17,200 jobs. Elemental works to address market failures for first-of-a-kind and early commercial projects by providing catalytic capital and specialized expertise—from policy engagement to workforce development and capital coaching. The nonprofit anchors the Elemental Impact investment platform, an expanding family of funds mobilizing capital into critical technologies. 

About the role

Elemental is looking for a highly collaborative, organized and experienced senior leader. This role entails working with a small team to guide the sourcing, diligence and management of Elemental’s energy and built environment portfolio companies, with an added focus on data centers. 

For this position, we are looking for an individual who can engage and build rapport with startup executives and funding partners, guide development of investment themes, support sourcing of exemplary startups, and guide design of portfolio company projects. Additionally, the ideal candidate will support management of deliverables and reporting, provide thought partnership on portfolio company strategy, and work with the Investment and Innovation team as well as the broader team across sectors and organization functions. This person will also be responsible for outward-facing thought leadership, including public speaking, engaging with funders and key stakeholders, attending ribbon cuttings and conferences, and broadly representing the organization. 

This role reports to Gabriel Scheer, Senior Director, Investments & Innovation.

Key Responsibilities Include:        

Portfolio Management

• Directly support active and alumni Elemental portfolio companies across the energy and built environment portfolios. Problem-solve with entrepreneurs to help them achieve key inflection points, facilitate introductions, and identify opportunities for business growth.
• Co-design and manage projects that are transformational for portfolio companies, as well as partners and communities.
• Support asset management functions for respective portfolio companies, including: regularly monitor investment performance, tracking and reporting key risk indicators, initiating management actions, and proposing recommendations for follow-on action, write-downs, or exits.
• Identify opportunities for new or evolved service offerings as needed.

Sourcing and Diligence 

• Oversee origination, sourcing and diligence of potential new and follow-on funding opportunities for energy and built environment portfolio companies. 
• Lead diligence of relevant deals, which includes successful management of internal team members and cross-collaboration. Support the Investment Committee in making final investment decisions.
• Guide development and evolution of Elemental’s investment strategy and theses, and ensure both are actively maintained.
• Support operational diligence and onboarding needs, including applicant correspondence, coordination, internal diligence documentation, and subsequent onboarding processes.

Partnerships and Strategic Support

• Provide strategic guidance on organization-wide initiatives including on our work with hyperscalers and data centers, the broader platform, and on future funds. 
• Serve as thought leader on data centers and relevant sectors, and represent Elemental at industry and portfolio company events.
• Maintain strong relationships with relevant investors and corporates as well as other key stakeholders and community partners.
• Serve as an internal resource and thought leader related to data centers, energy, and built environment, providing the latest intel on our portfolio companies, our projects, and the trends within the sectors.
• Work with the Growth team to source, vet and foster additional funding opportunities for the Elemental platform.
• Help to drive portfolio storytelling opportunities, both sourcing ideas and supporting the comms, policy and engagement teams in compiling the most compelling and relevant stories.

Portfolio Team Management

• Support and lead members of the Portfolio & Investment team.
• Work with interns, fellows, and consultants throughout the year.

About You 

You are a values-driven leader who believes capital can be a powerful tool for positive change and you’re excited by the work of helping bold climate solutions take root in the real world. You’re motivated by curiosity, care, and a desire to build things that actually matter, especially alongside founders and communities who are closest to the challenges. You enjoy rolling up your sleeves, asking thoughtful questions, and working collaboratively to turn promising ideas into meaningful impact.

You lead with empathy and integrity, and you care deeply about how work gets done, not just what gets done. You show up as a partner, coach, and advocate, building trusting relationships and supporting entrepreneurs through uncertainty, building trust with funders, founders and peers, and representing Elemental with authenticity and purpose. You’re especially drawn to sharing your perspective on climate innovation in public forums and you’re energized by being part of a team that is constantly learning, evolving, growing, and pushing for a more sustainable future.

Desired skills:   

• Interest and experience in energy and built environment sectors and/or data centers
• Experience investing in startups through venture capital, accelerators, or other relevant organizations, and/or working at startups
• Familiarity with project development in data center contexts 
• Strong interpersonal skills, proven ability to work optimally in a nimble, flexible and fast-paced environment
• Experience deploying technology in communities 
• Attention to detail with outstanding organizational skills and a passion for teamwork that includes phenomenal follow-through and documentation
• Creative and proactive in solving problems 
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills

Standout skills:

• Strong acumen in finance and investing
• Prior work experience building or operating data centers
• Experience providing financial and/or entrepreneurial assistance in communities 
• Experience building and managing high-performing teams 
• Experience convening / leading events and conversations

Even if you don’t meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. 

Compensation & Benefits

This is a full-time "at-will" position working at least 40 hours per week. You will be asked to travel for work periodically. 

The salary range for this role is $133,400 - $200,200, which is based on market data and the organization's compensation philosophy. Also, please note that while we strive to benchmark against for-profit companies and try to be as competitive as possible, we are a non-profit. Our offer will be within the range as required by certain state laws and individual salary offers will vary within the range depending on location, relevant education, knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer comprehensive employee benefits, including a professional development stipend and three weeks paid time off (more details here). 

Location

We will strongly prefer candidates located near one of our headquarters: Honolulu, San Francisco, New York and Washington, D.C. Elemental has a hybrid working model and if you are within a reasonable distance to one of our offices in New York, DC, Bay Area, or Honolulu, we are asking employees to come into the office at least one day a week to build community with the team. Currently, most people come in 1-2 times a week, but we encourage those who are interested to come in more often if they’d like. 

Other Application Details:

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

We will accept and review applications on a rolling basis. Although all applications will be considered, we may be unable to respond to all inquiries. Please note that we do read cover letters, so we advise spending adequate time on them to share your relevant stories and experiences with us. We also ask that you keep the cover letter to 1-2 pages long. We try to keep applications open for at least 2 weeks, but if we receive a high volume of applications early on, we may close the position.                                              

Elemental is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Elemental is also committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs, and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable laws.